Many of the performers in The Idolm@ster’s franchise are female, spanning characters across the main line of console video games and smartphone titles including Cinderella Girls and Million Live!. There is however one title which focuses on male idols, known as The Idolm@ster: SideM, which was first released in 2014 on the Mobage Platform, and on both iOS and Android devices in 2015.
Somewhat similar to the other mobile games but with its own cast of characters and individual mechanics/features, this has not received its own spin-off games or anime like the idols of 765 Production and Cinderella Girls… until now.
In Bandai Namco Entertainment’s first announcement, they have confirmed that a new SideM game titled The Idolm@ster: SideM Live on St@ge is in development.
While the game’s official website is little more than the above trailer at this moment and I would expect to hear more information on this soon, the title implies this will be a game similar to The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage, where you will be able to recruit characters and have them perform (rhythm game style) in 3D to a number of songs on-stage.
Considering that each idol in The Idolm@ster: SideM already has voice acting, and many already have a soundtrack released for their group, the game is adequately placed for a game like this in my opinion.
Coinciding with the announcement of The Idolm@ster: SideM Live on St@ge, it has also been confirmed that an anime based on The Idolm@ster: SideM is also in development. Further details, outside of those presented in the teaser trailer above, are expected to be announced on March 15th 2017.
While there are indications that most of the playable characters will have a role in this anime, the lead characters seem to be DRAMATIC STARS members Tsubasa Kashiwagi, Kaoru Sakura and Teru Tendo – who are your starting idol options in the game..
This will be the second TV anime currently in-development for The Idolm@ster franchise, with Cinderella Girls Gekijou currently slated for a 2017 release.
